Neutral Test venues on the anvil

The West Indies are likely to play February's away Test series against Pakistan on neutral territory in either the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco or Bangladesh if current hostilities continue in neighbouring Afghanistan.

At a meeting of all its members in Kuala Lumpur last month, the International Cricket Council (ICC) agreed to let Pakistan meet their commitments under its ten-year programme of home-and-away tours at other venues in the war in Afghanistan.

Chairman General Tauqir Zia revealed yesterday that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had applied to the ICC to use one of Dubai and Sharjah, two gulf states in the UAE, Rabat in Morocco or Dhaka in Bangladesh in the likelihood of the West Indies deciding against touring there in February.

The Sharjah Stadium, which has hosted more One-Day Internationals than any other ground in the world, and the Bangabandhu Stadium in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, the newest Test-playing country, already meet ICC standards.

Dubai and Rabat are both said to have stadiums up to requirements.

Cricket in some countries, most notably Pakistan, is in the frontline of world events, ICC president Malcolm Gray said after the Kuala Lumpur meeting.

We need to adopt creative solutions to support those affected and to overcome these problems. Zia claimed it was safe to play cricket in Pakistan but added that if outside perception is that it is not, then we have to find an alternative venue.

It would be a home fixture so we should have the usual benefits like preparing the pitch, he said.

Three days after the September terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, New Zealand cancelled their tour of Pakistan, scheduled for three Tests and three One-Day Internationals September 19 to October 26.

The PCB then tried and failed to bring Sri Lanka for three One-Day Internationals.

Zia estimated that those cancellations, along with India's withdrawal from a scheduled tour in January because of the dispute between the neighbouring nations over Kashmir, cost the PCB about $25 million in lost television and advertising revenue.

Tours by England to India and the West Indies to Sri Lanka, both starting this month, have only been given the go-ahead after the boards have gained assurances over security that have allayed the fears of the players over personal safety.

Two England players, Andy Caddick and Robert Croft, pulled out of the team that leaves November 14 and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has taken out insurance coverage of US$250 000 on each player for their tour.

One-Day internationals have been played at neutral venues since the first World Cup in 1975, but only four Tests three between Australia and South Africa at Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and Lords in England in the 1912 triangular series; and Pakistan against Sri Lanka in Bangladesh in 1999 in the final of the Asian Test championships.